The Sunshine Chronicles

by TwilightUCrazy

Breakfast

Applejack stretched out her sore legs before her and felt the joints pop and creak. Pinkie Pie's party had done a number on her the night before after Rainbow yanked her out on the dance floor, and she was only beginning to feel the effects. The day would bring worse with work, and there would be words with her wife about dancing competitions the day before a harvest day later on.

Looking over to her left, it looked like Rainbow had pulled herself out of bed early and started her day with the rest of the Apple family.

Applejack frowned.

Usually she allowed herself to sleep in an extra hour or two after her birthday. It was kind of a present to herself. But if that meant that her lazy wife was up before her, she wasn't sure she could allow that tradition to continue.

She groaned uncomfortably as she pulled herself out from under the covers and let her hooves hit the floor. Stretching her back and feeling a few more bones pop, Applejack started towards the stairs.

Judging from Applebloom's excited racket with Rainbow Dash, everypony was sitted around the breakfast table, readying for the day ahead.

She hit the first floor with a bit more spring in her step and trotted over to her chair next to her wife.

And everything grew silent.

Rainbow Dash smiled unnervingly.

"Uhh... mornin' family," she stammered nervously.

"Mornin'!" "Mornin'!" "Eeyup."

More silence.

Applejack's ears folded against her head. Her green eyes took in everypony's giant smiles towards her. Even Big Mac, typically of stoic expression and levelheaded kindness, had a big goofy grin on his face as his gaze reflected her visage.

She turned to her wife seated next to her, still grinning that same grin that she knew was going to make her angry somehow. The little hairs in her coat bristled in anticipation of a necessary scolding.

"Alright," she said, "what's the deal? Y'all were chattin' it up and havin' a good ol' time until I sat down. Then it's like somepony dropped the Spell bomb and everything's dead."

Applebloom giggled, and Big Mac gave her a look to silence her.

Granny gave her a knowing smile.

Rainbow just kept smiling.

Suddenly, Applejack clued in on the signals. Her falling ears and frown were born less from anger than disappointment.

"You told 'em?"

For the first time since she showed up downstairs, Rainbow Dash's smile faltered. Her ears pinned back, and a frown crossed her lips. "Uhh... w-was that bad?"

Granny scooted her chair back before Applejack could form a response, and she felt her grandmother's decrepit hooves wrapping around her from behind. "Oh, sugarcube, I'm so happy fer ya."

Her disappointment swiftly gave way to heartfelt emotion as the elder pony held her in her forehooves. Big Mac and Applebloom followed suit and scooted their chairs out.

"I am too, Applejack," she heard Applebloom mutter into her belly.

"Eeyup," her big brother uttered as he brushed his chin over her mane.

Rainbow Dash tried in vain to hide her warm smile. "Ugh!" she said, feigning disgust, "You guys would make maple trees go, 'Man, that's sappy!'"

Tired of the faking, Applejack darted out her forehoof and pulled the newest addition of their family into the fold by the neck.

The pegasus gagged and struggled a moment, trying to wriggle free. It was all for naught, and she rolled her eyes. "Aww, sheesh. I can feel my mare-cred screaming in agony..."

"Shut up," she snapped into her wife's ear with a smile. "Yer ruinin' the moment."

"You're killing me, AJ," Rainbow Dash chuckled and wrapped her hooves around her.

"This is so excitin'! I ain't never got to help with a baby before! Maybe I could get mah cutie mark in-"

"Don't you even finish that statement, missy," Applejack snapped.

Applebloom pouted while the rest of the huddled mass chortled humorously. The group hug ended when a sudden growl of the farmpony's stomach caused everypony's ears to perk.

"Boy, howdy!" Applejack chuckled, sitting back in her chair. "What's fer breakfast, Granny? I could eat a... tree!"

A tray of green landed in front of her.

The farmpony blinked down at the table. The plate was full of leaves, lettuce, carrots, celery stalks... and not a hint of apples drenched in the honey she liked in the morning. She nudged at the green stuff with her hoof, thinking that the sweet stuff was buried for some reason. But no sugar-dusted apple cubes rolled out and shouted "suprise!"

She lifted the plate, blinking confusingly up at the underside, before setting the dish back down. Politely as she could, Applejack pointed to the plate and asked, "Uhh... Granny? What's this crap?"

"Breakfast, sugarcube."

"Uhhh..." She stared at it as if she was seeing it for the first time. She took a curious sniff and shuddered. She looked back to Granny, clearing out dishes and divvying up the wash load, while Rainbow sat grinning at her.

Never one to turn down food, the farmpony leaned forward and took a small sampling of the veggies into her mouth.

She had to muster all her willpower not to spit it right back out, and instead forced it down her gullet with a pained swallow.

Rainbow snickered next to her, but she paid her no mind.

"W-what's on this?" she asked, quickly reaching for her glass of... water?

"Lemon vinaigrette!" Rainbow Dash said with a smile. "One of my favorites! You like?"

"It's..." Applejack paused, then eyed her water glass again. She grabbed it and gargled for several moments to give her brain a chance to formulate an a not-rude response. Spitting back into the glass, her eye twitched, body shuddering to match her disgust. "I-it's certainly got a mighty... interestin' flavor..."

"Good! Granny says it's the best thing for a growing foal!" She couldn't help but notice her wife's cruel snickering.

Applejack poked at the stalk of celery and sighed. She gave the pegasus the Stink Eye, and crunched into the veggie, rolling her eyes at the underwhelming taste. At least it didn't have... vinaigrette on it.

"Y'all coulda at least sprung fer some Ranch..."

"Ranch is unhealthy!" Rainbow sing-songed.

Applejack snorted and crunched into her breakfast some more.

"Momma always told me there'd be days like this..."

"Oh, and Big Mac's gonna be training me to take over your job for you until the kid's born!"

"..."

Comments

[BronyPonyMan]

uh, what just happened?

Edit: never mind, i found the announcement.

[TwilightUCrazy]

4684940

Won't take as long as you think. The other stuff'll just make appearances else-story where it makes more sense to have an adventure.

[Sidetrack]

You still taking prompts for the next chapter, or you gonna use the old ones?
prompt: bloating

[Peaceofpie]

What!!!!!!!!! This is terrible!!! I read all 56 chapters and you do this to me!!!!!!!!

[Sheendough]

But momma didn't tell you when the world was down to your knees. I'll be there for you.

[NobleValor]

Ha! Nice Van Morrison reference. Kudos!